The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-27
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Facts About the Consumption of
Whiskey, Beer and Tobacco.

WASHINGTON, July ga tabulated state
ment of receipts and expenditures from each
specific source for the fiscal year which end
ed ON June 30th will be issued from the
Bureau of Internal Revenue in the course of
few days. The figures will give to the ad-
yocates of prohibition much encouragement.
There is a falling off in the receipts from the
tax on distilled spirits of nearly $4,000, 900,
and this result has been achieved principally
in those States in which local option and
kindred measures have been most successful.
The inroads thus made upon the distilllng
and liquor interests have attracted the serious
attention of those whose capital is embarked
in the business, and recent publications In
their trade organs indicate a purpose of rails
Ing large sums of money to inaugurate what,
for want Of better name, may be called an
anti-temperance crusade in some of the lead
ing States into which the prohibition move
ment is now being carried.
As slight offset to the decreased consump-
tion Of whisky there is shown in nearly all
the States marked increase in beer drink
ing The tax on malt liquors is much lighter
ip proportion than upon distilled spirits, but
the revenues from this source during the
past year were 100000 more than for the
fiscal year of 1885, and the receipts for that
year were largely in excess of the year pre-
ceding. 1t is thus evident that beer drink
ing is increasing, and whiskey drinking is de-
creasing in the United States.
Native wines being exempt from internal
revenue taxation, except when made in
fraudulent imitation of the foreign article,
(and then they are very seldom detected,)
the tax figures of the Internal Revenue
Bureau give no clue to the increase or de-
statistics indicate that the consumption of
American wines, especially the red wines of
California, is largely on the increase. OPP
ponents of the tobacco habit will derive
little consolation from the report. Notwith-
standing decrease of one-third in the rate
of taxation, which was carried into effect
some years ago. the receipts from tobacco
and its products have steadily grown year
by year, and for 1887 will be at least 81. .500,-
900 in excess of 1886. An unpleasant feature
Of the statistics is that 9 large proportion of
the increase is derived from cigarettes. The
total receipts from internal revenue sources
will show net falling off of almost 81, ,000,-
600 as compared with last year.
1t has been the custom for a number of
years to institute simultaneous examin-
alton of the accounts Of all Collectors of In
ternal Revenue at the close OF the fiscal
year, to ascertain If they have Sroperly ac-
counted for the funds collected. DIS ex-
animation has not been had this year for one
or two reasons. The force of revenue agents
available for the purpose has been reduced
by Mr. RandalPs economy from 35 to 20,
which is inadequate to the task. Then,
again, a number of these agents are new
men, who, from force of circumstances, have
not yet had opportunity to acquire the ex-
perience necessary for the examination. In
cidental, however, to the recent consolida-
tion of revenue districts, more than third
of the offices in the country have been over
hauled within the last 80 days, and In every
case their accounts have been found correct
to cent. Now that the number of collec-
ton districts has been reduced from nearly a
hundred to "a, it is anticipated that next
| year the annual examinations can be resum-
ed with the present force.
More Pensions for Maine People.
The following pensions have been granted
Maine people,
Katie H., widow of Sylvauus r. jacobson, Fox
| croft.
Mary Ann, widow of James NJ. Ball, Lewiston.
Simon j. Treat, Rockport.
James b. Keith, Pennington.
Charles +. McKenny, Lewiston.
William Doriatt, Togus, (Mexican war;
Ivory A. Coffin, Presque Isle.
Patent to a Maine Inventor.
Lucius II, Dewelly, of Foxcroft was to-